January 1, 2019 – alittlebutalot

2018 READING STATS

Number Of Books You Read: 162
Number of Re-Reads: 0
Genre You Read The Most From: Fantasy?

1. Best Book You Read In 2018?

YA – Scythe. MG – The Nowhere Emporium

2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?

Out of the Blue – I didn’t NOT like it… I just didn’t love it as much as lots of other people did.

3. Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read?

Show Stopper by Hayley Barker. I’d heard quite a lot about it and it took me a few months to actually pick it up and read it.. but my god guys. I’m sorry I ever slept on that duology.

4. Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (And They Did)?

LOL. Anything Melinda Salisbury or Maz Evans have ever written.

5. Best series you started in 2018? Best Sequel of 2018? Best Series Ender of 2018?

Best series? Amelia Fang series by Laura Ellen Anderson. Those books are such fun!
Best sequel? THIS IS A HARD ONE. I read a LOT of sequels in 2018. I’m gonna have to say Fierce Fragile Hearts by Sara Barnard though, because I consumed that book in like 3 hours in the middle of a total reading block.
Best series ender? Hero at the Fall by Alwyn Hamilton

6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2018?

Leigh Bardugo. I wanna worship the ground that woman walks on having read Six of Crows.

7. Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone?

Notes on a Nervous Planet by Matt Haig. I’m not a massive non-fiction (??) reader, but I will read ANYTHING that man writes.

8. Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?

WHAT? JUST ONE? Rude. Scythe by Neal Shusterman. That book seriously blew my mind. I loved it.

9. Book You Read In 2018 That You Would Be MOST Likely To Re-Read Next Year?

The Truth Pixie by Matt Haig. I have big plans for that book in the classroom!

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2018?

Pages and Co by Anna James.

11. Most memorable character of 2018?

Kaz bloody Brekker. *swoon*

12. Most beautifully written book read in 2018?

Rooftoppers by Katherine Rundell. I just adored that story.

13. Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2018?

More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera. It REALLY made me think about me as a person and how I identify and how others see me. Basically, that book ruined my soul.

14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2018 to finally read?

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo.

15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2018?

OH LORD KNOWS.

16.Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2018?

Shortest? Shona, Word Detective by John Agard
Longest? Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo

17. Book That Shocked You The Most

Shocked in WHICH way my friends? Like scary shock? Like unbelievable shock? I think White Rabbit, Red Wolf by Tom Palmer gets ALL THOSE ACOLADES. That book BLEW MY MIND repeatedly.

18. OTP OF THE YEAR (you will go down with this ship!)

Amani and Jin 4LIFE. But also Kaz and Inej.

19. Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year

The friendship of the girls in Fierce Fragile Hearts. Sara Barnard writes female friendships so BLOODY well.

20. Favorite Book You Read in 2018 From An Author You’ve Read Previously

Fierce Fragile Hearts by Sara Barnard.

21. Best Book You Read In 2018 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure/Bookstagram, Etc.:

Oh god. I read Six of Crows because Kelly (of Rambles fame) kept telling me I had to. So I did and my god.

22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2018?

LOL ALL OF THEM? I mean Jin isn’t a NEW crush, but he’s 100% my top fictional crush of ever.

23. Best 2018 debut you read?

SHUT UP MAN. How rude. SO SO MANY. Jack of Hearts and Other Parts by Lev Rosen. (I THINK that’s a debut??)

24. Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year?

Show Stopper and Show Stealer by Hayley Barker. Bloody yes.

25. Book That Put A Smile On Your Face/Was The Most FUN To Read?

Theatrical by Maggie Harcourt. I hope she keeps writing books that just MAKE ME SMILE.

26. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2018?

HELLO FRIENDS, DO YOU KNOW ME AT ALL? I cry at ALL of the books. The ones that made me cry most however were: A Thousand Perfect Notes by C.G.Drews or More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera.

27. Hidden Gem Of The Year?

Slay by Kim Curran. PROPER GOOD.

28. Book That Crushed Your Soul?

LOL ALL OF THEM. A Thousand Perfect Notes by C.G.Drews can take that title though.

29. Most Unique Book You Read In 2018?

A Darkness of Dragons by S.A.Patrick. I loved the infusion of a “traditional tale” with magic.

30. Book That Made You The Most Mad (doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t like it)?

Leah on the Offbeat. Dear my lord, don’t let me get started.

1. New favorite book blog/Bookstagram/Youtube channel you discovered in 2018?

GEORGE LESTER IS MY FAVOURITE.

2. Favorite post you wrote in 2018?

Oooooooh. An interesting question. It’s not ONE, but it’s a type of post I love writing – my happy posts.

3. Favorite bookish related photo you took in 2018?

Haha, any time I took a good picture which showed off the metallic of a front cover?

4. Best bookish event that you participated in (author signings, festivals, virtual events, etc.)?

I’m gonna have to say when I got to chair Melinda Salisbury and Alice Broadway at Waterstones Newcastle. EASILY one of my favourite memories of 2018. All of my favourite people were in the same room, watching me interview two of my favourite authors in the world.

5. Best moment of bookish/blogging life in 2018?

Any time someone said “I read your review and I knew I needed to buy that book”. That’s the big winner for me.

6. Most challenging thing about blogging or your reading life this year?

I think this year I experienced, for the first time, a total reading block. I don’t know whether it was tiredness, or what, but I had a good month where I read very little.

7. Most Popular Post This Year On Your Blog (whether it be by comments or views)?

Of course it is my one and only queen: Melinda Salisbury. This here review of State of Sorrow had almost 4000 views this year!

8. Post You Wished Got A Little More Love?

Hmmm… I do not know!

9. Best bookish discover (book related sites, book stores, etc.)?

Another one, I’m not entirely sure!

10. Did you complete any reading challenges or goals that you had set for yourself at the beginning of this year?

I did! I set out to read 52 books in 2018 (that’s a book a week) and I SMASHED it. And no, I won’t be upping that for 2019.

1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2018 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2019?

I guess 2019 is when I should finally get round to reading The Hate U Give or A Darker Shade Of Magic.

2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2019 (non-debut)?

SONG OF SORROW OK? I’VE BEEN WAITING A YEAR.

BUT ALSO. AGAINST ALL GODS. COME ON GUYS.

3. 2019 Debut You Are Most Anticipating?

A Pocketful of Stars by Aisha Bushby.

4. Series Ending/A Sequel You Are Most Anticipating in 2019?

Again… SONG OF SORROW OK? I’VE BEEN WAITING A YEAR.